'Jungle Cruise' Is the Latest Big Disney Flick That'll Hit Cinemas and Disney+ Simultaneously
Starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, and delayed since 2020 due to the pandemic, it's also the latest Disney flick based on a theme park ride.
When Disney isn't turning its beloved movie franchises into new theme park zones, as it's currently doing with both Star Wars and Marvel, the enormous entertainment company has been known to take the opposite approach. Plenty of its rides and attractions have inspired films, such as the entire Pirates of the Caribbean series, as well as Tomorrowland, The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears and Mission to Mars. Now — and after a pandemic-inspired year-long delay — Jungle Cruise is the latest to join the fold.
As the Mouse House did with Pirates, it has enlisted some serious star power, with Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place Part II) and Dwayne Johnson (Jumanji: The Next Level) taking the watery journey in the first movie based on Disney's popular river boat ride. She plays an explorer and scientist on a mission, while he captains the vessel she hires to transport her along the Amazon River. From there, as seen in both the original trailer back in 2019 — yes, that long ago — and the just-dropped new trailer, it seems that typical action-adventure hijinks ensue.
The film's two sneak peeks so far set up a vibe that's part The Mummy, part Indiana Jones, part every other flick about someone scrambling through vast landscapes searching for something precious — in this case, a tree in the Amazon that possesses unparalleled healing powers. And that's not the only way that the flick will be following in other footsteps. Adjusting to the times, Disney has started releasing its big titles in cinemas and on its Disney+ streaming platform simultaneously, with Jungle Cruise set to follow Raya and the Last Dragon, Cruella and the upcoming Black Widow in giving viewers the option of either hitting up the silver screen or settling in to watch it at home.
When Jungle Cruise both floats into cinemas and heads online this July — the latter via Disney+'s Premier Access, which involves an extra pay-per-view fee — it'll also feature Edgar Ramirez (The Undoing), Jack Whitehall (Good Omens), Jesse Plemons (Judas and the Black Messiah) and Paul Giamatti (Billions). Behind the camera, Jaume Collet-Serra is in the director's chair, marking a change of pace after the Liam Neeson-starring Unknown, Non-Stop, Run All Night and The Commuter (and Blake Lively shark flick The Shallows, too). Script-wise, the film is penned by Bad Santa writers (and Crazy, Stupid, Love filmmakers) Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, as well as Logan, Alien: Covenant, Blade Runner 2049 and Murder on the Orient Express' Michael Green.
Check out the trailer latest below:
After being delayed from its original release date of July 23, 2020, Jungle Cruise will now open in Australian cinemas on July 29, 2021 — and be available to stream via Disney+ with Premier Access from Friday, July 30.
Top image: © 2020 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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